Chapter 86 - 83: Adapting to the Situation
Chapter 86: Chapter 83: Adapting to the Situation
The next day, early in the morning.
The sky was just beginning to lighten. Zhang Xincheng rode his small electric scooter over to the Salt Town Breeding Base and greeted the security guard, Old Lin: "Morning, Old Lin!"
"Morning, Manager. Xiaoli just dropped off breakfast," the security guard, Old Lin, said while eating rice noodle rolls. A pot of savory soy milk sat beside him.
"Take your time."
Zhang Xincheng hadn’t driven his electric scooter more than five or six meters when the distinct sound of a gasoline engine came from behind him.
After parking his scooter in a charging spot in the parking lot, Zhang Xincheng pulled out the key. He was about to head to his office when he turned and saw a police car at the gate. He raised an eyebrow.
Yang Chenggang, his eyes bloodshot, stepped out of the police car. The moment he saw Zhang Xincheng, he smiled and waved. "Manager Zhang, good morning!"
"Yang Institute, what brings you here?" Zhang Xincheng hurried over.
"A case. It involves your breeding farm. I have to go into the city later, so I’ll make it quick..." Yang Chenggang concisely explained last night’s events to Zhang Xincheng.
However, Yang Chenggang also mentioned Zhou Xiuqin’s situation, expressing his hope that Hailufeng Company wouldn’t make things difficult for her. He also asked Zhang Xincheng to keep the matter confidential.
Zhang Xincheng smiled and nodded. "I didn’t expect things to turn out this way. Don’t worry, Yang Institute. Ah Miao and my father-in-law aren’t unreasonable people. We’ll definitely keep Zhou Xiuqin’s temporary position at the strawberry greenhouses open for her."
Afterward, Zhang Xincheng cooperated with Yang Chenggang and his team, going to the surveillance room to copy the data from the five cameras on the side of the breeding farm closest to the highway.
"I won’t disturb you any longer. I still have to go into the city, so I’ll be leaving now."
"Take care, Yang Institute."
Watching Yang Chenggang get into the police car and drive off, Zhang Xincheng then picked up his phone.
Jiang Miao was just about to head to the lab with Shuya when his phone suddenly rang.
This was his personal number, which only relatives would normally call. His work number, on the other hand, was with Li Zixuan, so calls to it wouldn’t reach him directly.
He glanced at the caller ID—it was his brother-in-law. Jiang Miao answered the call, and his brother-in-law told him what had just happened.
After hanging up, Jiang Miao turned and said helplessly, "Ah Ya, you head to the lab first. I need to make a trip to the breeding farm."
"Okay." Shuya nodded and then led An Ning and Li Wenna toward the lab area.
Jiang Miao had Ke Yong drive.
A short while later, the pickup truck arrived at the Salt Town Breeding Base.
He went straight to the manager’s office at the breeding base, knocked, and then pushed the door open. "Brother-in-law."
"Ah Miao, you’re here." His brother-in-law scratched his head, his face a picture of helplessness. "I never thought things would take such an unexpected turn."
Jiang Miao shook his head and sat down. "Nobody could have predicted something like this. But the town authorities really acted fast this time, catching him red-handed with the evidence."
"That’s because Big Bird’s own mother reported him. Otherwise, besides us, no one would have known about the kid’s little scheme." Zhang Xincheng hadn’t dared to discuss such things on the phone earlier.
Jiang Miao was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but give a wry smile. "Man proposes, God disposes, I guess."
"Now that Big Bird is behind bars, it’s actually a bad thing for us!" Zhang Xincheng also gave a wry smile.
The original plan was to add something to the wastewater to string along the masterminds behind the scenes for over half a year.
Now, with Big Bird caught, the other party can’t get the wastewater. They’re left with only two choices: either give up on stealing Hailufeng Company’s secret feed formula, or try to bribe one of the breeders at the base.
And according to the information Yang Chenggang passed on to Zhang Xincheng, the preliminary investigation last night revealed that the person cooperating with Big Bird, while able to use Chinese, was using an account with a fake, purchased identity. Based on their chat logs, it was highly probable the person was from Ryukyu; this could be determined from their grammar and phrasing.
The more troublesome part, however, is that this guy communicating with Big Bird is very likely just a pawn.
The Shanmei police were already planning a sting operation: they’d send a fake package to the address in Shanghai the other party provided, and then have the Shanghai police assist with the arrest.
Jiang Miao listened to all this but didn’t pay it too much mind. It was the kind of thing that was difficult for him to get involved in, nor should he get involved rashly.
After a moment, his gaze hardened slightly. "For now, our only option is to use the backup plan. Brother-in-law, you should implement that plan as soon as possible."
"Okay, leave it to me." Zhang Xincheng nodded grimly.
...
「The third day, afternoon.」
The Shanghai police reported a case of commercial espionage.
At the same time.
Across the sea in Pingtung County, Great Ryukyu.
Inside the office of the boss of a large aquatic farming and vaccine company.
"Useless! Another failure," a heavyset, middle-aged man cursed. He then lit a cigarette and took a long, hard drag.
"HSSS... HAAAH..."
As he breathed out clouds of smoke, he fell into deep, troubled thought.
A young man in the room, Huang Mao, rubbed his nose nonstop as he said nonchalantly, "Boss, I think we still need to find a way to bribe a breeder from Hailufeng Company to get that secret formula."
"Heh, you think I need you to remind me? West Sea Company already tried that once, so Hailufeng Company is definitely on its guard. Why don’t I send you there to dig up some intel? If you succeed, I’ll give you a million straight up. How about it?"